Former Liverpool defender Jason McAteer believes Liverpool must revitalize their right flank and should not overlook recruiting a new full-back.

New Reds manager Arne Slot has confirmed his interest in recruiting a new right winger, having already admitted the team lacks depth in that area.

Liverpool struggled at right-back last season, with Bradley sidelined by a serious injury in January and Frimpong hampered by muscle problems and poor form, forcing Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Wataru Endo, and Joe Gomez to all fill the position.

McAteer is firmly convinced that the Reds must act in the transfer market to bring both additional defensive support and another attacking option.

McAteer said: "I think the problem is on Liverpool's right side. We lost Trent (Alexander-Arnold) two years ago. That left a big void, and we initially thought Conor Bradley could fill it. We felt Conor was ready to take on that role, but unfortunately, due to injuries and performances, he hasn't been able to. Then Frimpong arrived. He's not an ideal right-back defensively; he's more of a wing-back, more attack-minded. So he had to replace him, and we've even had Szoboszlai playing right-back, which wasn't ideal. I think that's also affected Salah, and Salah has obviously left too. So the right side is an area we need to strengthen, whether at full-back or winger. There hasn't been much talk about full-backs, but there's been a lot of speculation about a potential move for Yann Diomande."

Liverpool were reportedly prepared to pay £86 million for Diomande, but RB Leipzig's asking price of over £100 million has so far deterred other potential suitors, including Paris Saint-Germain, with reports suggesting the Ivorian international prefers a move to PSG.

McAteer added: "Diomande put in a decent performance at the World Cup. Ivory Coast had a difficult tournament. He showed flashes of brilliance, but young players like Boadu and Yamal made the headlines at that tournament, which somewhat took attention away from him—which isn't a bad thing. But paying around £100 million for him means you expect him to shine on the biggest stage at that price, and the World Cup was his platform. It's difficult to judge him on his World Cup performance, but he's definitely a young talent to watch."

In an interview, McAteer suggested that Paris Saint-Germain's French international Barcola would be a more interesting signing for Liverpool this summer.

"Between Diomande and Barcola, I'd probably choose Barcola right now," he said. "I don't think Liverpool need to recruit unproven prospects. We saw last season that potential doesn't always materialize. You need to recruit more developed players, finished products, more reliable players. I think Barcola's performance at this World Cup was more mature than Diomande's."

Traduit par IA.

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